The wolf at the door
by ShadowsOnTheMoon
Summary: Face to face with her attacker... the face of an angel, the visage of a killer... she knows it's over.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I'll keep this short because you all have better things to do than read my ANs, and if you've taken the time to check out this story I definitely don't want to bore you. This is set during the S4 Halloween episode, so spoilers up until then. It picks up during the fight in the greenhouse, and then obviously takes an alternative route. There are only going to be four chapters, the next of which should be up very soon, sooner if I see people are liking this so far. So read, review, favorite, you know the deal. See you next chapter, I hope.**

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Face to face with her attacker, Spencer finds herself frozen. She can't see his eyes through his mask, but in her mind she pictures them clearly: dark, glittering, full of malice. Her hand flutters out, reaching for the mask, but she pauses before she touches it; a butterfly about to alight, unsure whether the reward will be nectar or poison. A few forceful words creep into her mind, tough love to remind herself that she needs to do this. She's too determined to change her mind now, too strong to back down. The eleventh hour is no time for cowardice.

Yet her hand still shakes as she curls her fingers around the bottom of the mask, nudging it up inch by inch, revealing features that tell her nothing she doesn't already know. A strong jaw, smooth-shaven skin. The face of someone full of self-confidence. Despite the rugged features, there's a kind of softness about him, and in the second before the mask comes clean off, Spencer's mind fills with pleasant images: bouncing puppies, a bouquet of balloons, a field of flowers.

In one smooth movement she pulls the mask off, and the cloud of images disappears, mist dissipated by the harsh light of truth, the clarity of knowledge. Painful, unbelievable, irrefutable. The word 'no' slips from her mouth and she stumbles back, still staring at her attacker. The face of an angel, the visage of a killer. Panic jolts through her, but before she can get out of the way she notices his eyelids flicker, and then his eyes open.

They share a long look, conveying everything. Her shock at finding him here; his surprise at being discovered. Their fear, her for her life, him for his cover. _You're A_, she thinks, but she can't even say the words. Her mind, her mouth, her limbs have all forgotten how to work. Courage and intellect have abandoned her, and all that remains is instinct. Woefully inadequate, her last chance.

"Spencer," Ezra splutters in surprise, pulling himself up into a sitting position.

She can see the wheels in his mind turning. Trying to decide if a lie will save him, as surely as the truth has doomed her. Making up his mind, he shoots forward. Spencer lets out a startled shriek and manages to dive out of the way, but it's only a brief reprieve; the next second he's swerved, crashing into her and knocking her to the ground. Suppressing a grunt of pain, she tries to push him off, but he's too strong, and her fear makes her clumsy. He quickly overpowers her, pining her to the ground. Their eyes meet again, and his are exactly how she imagined them. Cold, glittering with malice. Without another word he hauls her to her feet and shoves her forward.

Her heart jumps into overtime, but it's sending blood to all the wrong places; her face is flushed, her skin tingling with anticipation. But her limbs are still reluctant to move, and it's all she can do to put one foot in front of the other. Ezra guides her down a hall, takes a corner, down another one. Every step of the way she thinks of fighting back or calling out, but she can't overpower him and there's no guarantee anyone will hear her.

Spencer is close to tears by the time they come to a stop at a door, painted or stained a faint yellow. One hand still clamped on Spencer's arm, Ezra uses the other to open the door. Knowing her cue, Spencer walks inside. The room is dark, and even when Ezra flicks on a light and closes the door behind them, the details of the room still seem unclear. The dim light from the bulb vaguely illuminates some shadowy furniture shapes in one corner, and a rug that looks horribly like it might be bearskin.

A heavy silence descends on the room, and Spencer steps away from Ezra; a pointless gesture, since he's still guarding the door. She licks her lips and cuts through the silence. "What are you doing here?"

Her English teacher surveys her calmly, although she can see a hint of unease clouding his eyes. This isn't part of his plan. "You know the answer to that," he says, his voice devoid of the malice his body language suggests. "You were in my lair, after all."  
"Your lair," Spencer says, the words as heavy on her tongue as they are in her heart. "You're A."

He shrugs, seemingly unconcerned. "Among other things, yes."

"And you came here tonight because you're…" She trails off, but he picks up on her meaning.

"Looking for Alison?" he fills in. Of course."

Although Spencer is still terrified, her desire for answers makes her bold. Here is the one person who might be able to explain everything they've gone through since Alison disappeared, and she's not going to let fear ruin her chance. "You knew her," Spencer accuses. "You're the one she was scared of."

Another infuriating shrug, neither confirming nor denying anything. "You know, you're getting in the way here," he says. "I had this all planned out, and you're not sticking to the script."

"This isn't some play, Ezra," she spits, trying to gauge just how unstable he is. "This is real. And real people are getting hurt. You almost killed me back in the greenhouse -"

_And you're going to kill me now. _She doesn't say it, but she knows he can read it in her eyes. That's why he brought her to this room, why he's been inching closer to her during this whole conversation. Hoping to catch her by surprise, ready to deliver the killing blow.

"That's not going to help," he says as she backs up. His voice is still dark, but he sounds almost amused. "You've become a liability, Spencer. A loose end. And now you know who I am, I can't have you running off to your little friends -"

"So you're going to _murder_ me?" she challenges. Her voice is high, but it comes across as indignant rather than helpless, which is of small comfort. Something in the way his expression shifts, slipping into something almost bragging, tips her off. "This isn't the first time," she says cautiously. "You… Were you the one who killed Alison?"

His only reply is another shoulder shrug, but it's answer enough. Spencer clenches her fist, but she knows there's nothing she can do. She's trapped in here with a murderer, and she's about to be his next victim.

"For what it's worth, I _am_ sorry," he says, taking a step toward her. "I didn't want it to end this way, but I think it's unavoidable."

Ezra is unnervingly calm and casual, like his only hesitation is the fact that killing Spencer might get blood on his clothes. He holds her gaze as he reaches into a pocket in his suit, but a second later his eyes snap downward. Spencer's heart leaps, for just a moment: he must have dropped his weapon during the struggle in the greenhouse.

"Wait here," Ezra growls, turning on his heel and striding out the door.

"Where do I have to go?" Spencer mutters to his retreating figure, but as soon as the door closes she flings herself against it. It's an old house, maybe the lock won't hold. Maybe he didn't lock it properly. Or maybe there's someone nearby who will hear her.

She pounds against the door, feeling the wood creak beneath her fists, but every second that passes brings Ezra closer to his return. And no one comes to save her. She keeps at it, sheer doggedness rather than hope spurring her on. She knows there's no way anyone will reach her before _he_ comes back. Game over, thanks for playing.

She hears footsteps echo down the hall, and she knows it's over.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all, and thanks for the feedback last chapter. This story may be short but I did work hard on it and I'm pretty proud of it, so I'm excited people are reading it. If you're looking for a really great (and longer) EzrA story though, I'm going to take a moment to recommend one: ****So Cold**** by the amazing and lovely ****Runawaybaby555****. Seriously guys, give it a go. That's all from me, so enjoy this chapter and please review, every single one makes me happier than my sister's kitten with a bottlecap (and believe me, the little scamp adores those).**

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Lost in the maze of halls and empty rooms, Aria thinks she's never felt so desperate. She slumps against the wall, sharing a frustrated look with Emily. They've been looking for the others for what feels like forever; time seems to pass strangely here, in jolts and jumps and slow dragging hours.

"Where should we try next?" Emily asks, her gaze darting up and down the hall. Then she points to their left and suggests, "That way?"

Aria shakes her head, feeling anxiety bubble up in her stomach Spill over the edges, seep into her blood. They've been looking for so long; why haven't they found anyone? "We've already looked down there."

Emily points to the right with one hand, using the other to adjust her dress for the hundredth time. "What about that way?"

"We've looked there too," Aria reminds her dejectedly.

While Aria runs her hands up and down her arms, trying to ward off the inevitable goosebumps, Emily leans against the wall beside her. "So what do we do now?" the dark-haired swimmer asks.

The halls seem endless, the terror everlasting. They haven't run into anyone here, friend or otherwise, and in a way that's more terrifying than if they had stumbled upon their tormentor. "We could split up," Aria says, the words unsettling her as much as they do Emily.

"Are you crazy?" Emily says incredulously. "A is here tonight, we've already lost Hanna and Spencer, and you want us to go off on our own?"

"We haven't lost them," Aria says, bristling at the words. It makes it sound like they're not going to be able to get them back. "We just can't find them."

"Well we have to find them before A does," Emily points out, not needing to describe the alternative. She pulls her dress up yet again, scowling as she tries to tug it back into place. "God damn this thing!" she bursts out at last. "Whose idea was it to -"

"Shut up," Aria interrupts, raising her hand to quieten her friend's outrage. She pushes herself off the wall and starts walking down the corridor, following a dim sound that seems to get caught in her ears, never quite reaching her mind. She can hear Emily following her, but doesn't pay her any attention.

"You hear that?" Emily asks, coming up behind her, and Aria nods. "It sounds like someone's banging on a door."

"Trying to get out," Aria adds grimly. "Maybe we should -"

Her words are cut off by a scream that comes from the other end of the hall. As one, the two girls whirl around and stare down the hall, but no obvious danger presents itself. The banging continues. "Do you think we should -"

"- split up?" Emily finishes, answering her own question with a nod. "Two missing friends, two of us. This might be the best way to find them."

Aria arranges her expression into what she hopes is one of resolution. "Be careful," she says, and without another word the two girls separate.

There are so any rooms, such frequent twists and turns, that Aria has trouble finding the one she's looking for. She wouldn't be surprised if this entire house had been designed by A simply for this occasion. Every sound makes an echo, and each echo makes another one, so that it's almost impossible to tell where the sound originated. Several times she wrenches open a door and peers inside, only to be met with an empty room.

And each time that happens her heart has a battle between disappointment and relief. She hasn't found her target, but nobody's found her either. Hoping Emily's having better luck, Aria turns down yet another corner. Each door seems to be a slightly different color, which at first she attributes to poor-quality lighting, which keeps flickering in the most ominous way possible.

But after she's tried a couple of the doors, she realizes that they're actually different colors. Most look like they were painted so long ago that the paint is simply peeling off, and nobody's thought to replace it; but others look like someone has tried to scrape off the paint, possibly with their bare hands, giving them the appearance of having been found on the set of a horror movie.

One door in particular is worrying. Faded yellow, either stained or painted, with a large bolt drawn across it. Taking a deep breath, Aria approaches it, trying not to think about whether the bolt is to keep people out or to keep something in. She reaches it too quickly to talk herself into a state of courage, so when the banging starts up again she stumbles back, breathing hard.

The banging is accompanied by a shout, and there's no doubt as to where it comes from.

"Hello?" she calls, resting her hand on the bolt. Hoping for a miracle, expecting a trap.

The banging stops. "Aria?"

Recognizing the voice, Aria wastes no time in sliding the bolt back and opening the door. Spencer is standing on the other side, but by the time Aria registers this, her friend has already tumbled forward, slammed the door behind her, and grabbed Aria's arm.

"We have to leave," Spencer announces in a shaky yet firm voice. Leaving no room for arguments, she starts dragging Aria down the hall, away from that damn yellow door.

"Hey!" Aria calls, jogging to keep up. She pulls her arm out of Spencer's grip but keeps up the pace. "What's going on?"

Casting a quick glance back, Spencer gives her the '25 words or less' version. "A is here, I know who he is, and we need to leave before he finds me again."

Mutely, Aria follows Spencer down the hall, her heart beating a mile a minute. They hurry down a couple more halls before they come across Emily and Hanna, who have evidently been looking for them too. After a joyous but hurried reunion, they all flee outside, pile into the car, and put as much distance between themselves and Ravenswood as they can. It's not until the Welcome sign fades from view that they finally feel safe enough to ask the question they're all terrified to know the answer to.

"So who is it?" Hanna asks, and a thick silence descends on the car while they wait what feels like an eternity for the answer.

Then Spencer says something that makes Aria's heart screech to a standstill. "Ezra is A."

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**#cleavagefordays. God I loved those costumes though.**

**With me there's usually a 50/50 chance I'll either kill someone or have a Sparia save, and in this case it's the latter - for now.**

**So now Aria knows, how do you guys think she's going to react? Let me know your theories in the reviews! (The more I get, the faster I update... and the more I love you guys.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, you guys got me over 10 reviews! Thank you so much. I'm really glad you're liking the story, and I'm kind of sad we're halfway through already. But this was actually originally a two-shot, so I can't exactly stretch it out any further. So here's the next chapter; only one more after this. Show me your love in the reviews, and I'll see you soon for the final installment.**

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No one speaks for the rest of the drive. All their thoughts are troubled, all their minds uneasy. Spencer, in the passenger seat, does nothing but stare out the window and try not to drown in the implications of her discovery. Ezra, someone they all know and had respected, is A. He's their teacher, he's part of all their lives, and he's trying to destroy them. Glancing back at Aria, silent in the back seat beside Hanna, Spencer thinks he might have succeeded.

Although she wants to ask Aria if she's okay, she knows it's too soon – and it wouldn't matter anyway. Aria's not okay, and nothing Spencer can say will fix that. Waves of helplessness crash upon sharp points of anger, leaving Spencer feeling drained and cold and utterly lost. Tonight has been a disaster, but it's also been a success. The answers they gained were not the ones they wanted, but they did need them. Now they just have to hope that the truth will strengthen them, not tear them apart completely.

Looking around at her pensive friends, she doesn't like the chances of that. Finally they pull up out the front of the Hastings house, the mutually agreed meeting spot because all the other houses are currently occupied by parents and/or siblings. Emily and Hanna lead the way up the path, leaning on each other the whole way.

Spencer falls into step beside Aria, running through the possible openers in her mind. "Sorry your boyfriend's a psycho" is too flippant; "Well at least now we know who killed Ali" is too disrespectful. Eventually she settles for holding Aria's hand, a comforting gesture to hide her lack of eloquence. She needn't have bothered, because she's not even sure Aria is aware of her presence.

They traipse into the house one by one, settle into their usual seats in the living room. Dejected, disheartened, still in their ridiculous Founders' Festival costumes, they sit, they stare at nothing, and they try to figure out what to do now. Spencer falls even more into the silence, and every time she opens her mouth some instinct makes her close it again.

It's Emily who breaks the silence, albeit reluctantly. "We need to talk about this," she says pragmatically. "What we're going to do now, I mean."

Spencer glances at her, surprised. Emily is usually the one offering tea and sympathy, so why is she taking charge now? Then Spencer realizes. It's normally _her_ role, but she's in no state to take it on. Being kidnapped and threatened with death tends to have that effect. "We don't need to do anything," Spencer says cautiously, keeping one eye on Aria as she speaks. There's no reaction, no sign the other girl has even heard. "Not right away, anyway."

"Spence is right," Hanna chips in. "Tonight we should just try to…"

She trails off, but in her mind Spencer finishes the sentence: _survive_. "Do you want to stay the night?" Spencer asks Aria.

The smaller girl looks up after a long pause, as if she had trouble making the words connect. "No. I just want to be alone," she says, and no one argues. She turns to Emily and asks, "Can you give me a lift home?"

"Sure."

Normally Spencer would protest, say they shouldn't split up, beg the others to stay the night. But after all they've been through tonight, she knows that being alone is the best thing for Aria, and might not be so bad for the others. It's unlikely Ezra will do anything else tonight, so they're probably safe – as safe as they ever are.

After a quick discussion, during which Spencer reveals what Ezra told her and what he'd done to her, and Hanna explains how she got separated and how Emily found her, they decide to go their separate ways.

"Do you want me to stay the night?" Hanna asks Spencer, while Emily and Aria are getting ready to leave.

Feeling a rush of gratitude, Spencer nods. Hanna smiles in response, but it's weary, forced, like all their optimism is these days.

"So I'll see you guys tomorrow," says Aria, who hasn't said anything this entire meeting.

Spencer frowns, but the other girl doesn't meet her eyes. There's so much Spencer wishes she could do for her friend – take away her pain, help her get over Ezra, keep her safe from A. But she can't do that, and at the moment she can't even get her to smile. It makes Spencer feel disappointed in herself; a warrior without a sword, a writer without a pen. Spencer without the ability to help her friends, the people who mean everything to her.

"You don't…" Hanna trails off, frowns, tries again. "You don't have to be alone. And you don't have to pretend to be okay."

Aria's eyes flick up, down. No expression crosses her face. Since Spencer delivered the news back in the car, it's like Aria has completely shut down. No emotion, no weakness, none of that characteristic spark. "I know," she says. That's all. No apology, explanation, expressions of gratitude or concern.

"I'm sorry," Spencer says, and Aria gives a half-shrug. "I wish you hadn't had to find out like this – or at all. But… can you do me a favor?"

Aria meets her gaze at last, with eyes that are dull and lifeless. "What is it?"

"Just… don't do anything, okay?" Spencer says carefully. "Not until we know more."

After a short pause, Aria dips her head. Assent.

"I need you to say it," Spencer presses, and she can sense Emily and Hanna silently backing her up.

"I promise I won't do anything," Aria says robotically.

Knowing it's the best she'll be offered, Spencer gives her friend a smile. "Thanks."

Aria gives another shrug, and then she and Emily say their farewells and depart. The remaining girls stare at the door for a long while, lost in their thoughts.

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Hanna asks eventually.

Spencer shrugs, but they both know the answer. They just can't bear to say it out loud.

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**So Aria's going to listen to Spencer and just go home and stay out of trouble, right? Yeah. Right.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! You guys ready for the last chapter? I honestly have no idea how you'll all react to this, so whatever your thoughts are, I would love to hear them in the reviews; I'm curious. So thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review this story, it means a lot and I'm glad you've enjoyed it. If you like my work, why not check out some of my other stories? I'm always messing around with new genres/characters/ships/themes, so no matter what you're looking for, chances are I have it somewhere - and if I don't, I'll probably end up writing it at some point. That's about all from me, so please do leave a review, and I hope to see you over in some of my other stories! **

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The streets are quiet, but Aria's mind is buzzing. Emily keeps looking over at her, like Aria is some wild animal and her friend isn't sure if she's going to attack her or not. A couple of times Emily even speaks, making a vague comment about the weather or school, just to break the silence. Seeing what she's trying to do, Aria says nothing. The silence is comforting, and it gives her time to think – although what she's meant to think is up for debate.

"Here you go," Emily says, letting the car drift to a stop in front of the Montgomery house. She pauses, one hand on the keys and the other on the wheel. Indecisive. "Do you want me to come in with you?"

Giving her what she hopes is a reassuring smile. Aria shakes her head. "I'll be okay. Dad and Mike are both home, so it's not like I'll be alone."

Emily agrees, reluctantly, and in a minute Aria is making her way up the path. When she's inside the house and the door's closed behind her, she hears Emily drive off. Aria leans against the door for a minute, and then she pushes herself off and goes up to her room. It's a relief to get out of this damn costume, and she slides into an old pair of jeans and a sweater, enjoying the feeling of being able to breathe.

Then she remembers everything that happened tonight and realizes the other reason she hadn't been able to breathe. Ezra. Anger stirs in her, a waking beast, and before she can control it she finds herself lashing out. Pens, books, paper; she knocks it all onto the ground, breathing hard and trying not to scream. Not that it would matter – her father and Mike are both out tonight anyway. She just didn't want Emily to worry.

When all the contents of her desk have been tossed to the ground she sits down on her bed, her anger abating. In its place comes a burning desire for action. Without giving herself time to think, she heads for the door. She'd promised Spencer she wouldn't do anything, but how can she not? She has to know.

As she drives she feels like eyes are watching her, but she pushes the feelings aside. Someone is always watching. Ezra's apartment seems to be the same as always. There's no 'Guess what, I'm A' painted on his door, no gas mask haphazardly left out in the hall. Hardly believing she dares to do this, she raises one shaking hand and knocks on the door.

The door opens, and there he is. Perfect as ever, looking like he's just stepped out of the shower. A startled smile crosses his face when he sees her, but it dims as he takes in her expression.

"Aria -" he begins, but her actions cut across his words.

Without thinking, she lets her fists fly out, battering his chest. There's minimal force behind it, but mere shock makes Ezra take a step back. Hardly aware of the door swinging closed behind her, Aria keeps up her assault.

"Aria!" Ezra exclaims again, catching her wrists and holding her at arm's length. "What are you doing?"

Aria huffs and jerks her hands out of his grip. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ezra blinks. "Tell you what?"

Ignoring the question, Aria folds her arms and glares at him. "What were you doing there tonight?" she demands. Before he can answer she goes on, needing to vent more than she needs answers for the moment. "Spencer said you attacked her. You threatened to _kill_ her. You admitted to killing Ali. Why were you in Ravenswood?"

"First of all, I didn't kill Alison." He pauses, looking at her oddly, and then adds, "You know that."

"I know," Aria says, feeling her anger dissipating somewhat.

"And I was never going to kill Spencer."

The last of Aria's anger fades. She sinks down onto the nearest chair, more weary than anything. "I know that too. But why didn't you tell me you were going to be at the Festival tonight?"

"I didn't know," he says, and his words have a ring of truth to them. "It was a last minute decision. After the girls found the lair -"

"About that," she says, slightly sheepish. "I didn't -"

"It's okay," he assures her, sitting down beside her and gently kissing the top of her head. "You couldn't help it. You had to keep your cover."

"Speaking of which." Aria clasps her hands in her lap, and then glances up at him. "What are you going to do? They know who you are."

Alarm flashes through Ezra's eyes. "They don't know about you, do they?"

"No." Aria allows herself a small smile. "They have no idea I'm on the A-Team as well."

"Good." Ezra visibly relaxes, letting one arm drape over Aria's shoulders. "As long as your cover's okay, we don't need to worry much. Mona always intended for me to make myself known to them, to distract them from whatever she's doing. It just happened a little sooner than she expected."

Aria leans back, relaxing into the feel of Ezra's arm around her. "Have I mentioned I don't like working for Mona?"

"Once or twice," Ezra replies, a good-natured twinkle in his eyes. "But these past few months haven't been so bad, have they?"

"No," Aria says thoughtfully. "I was shocked when Mona asked us, and I still have no idea how she found out, but… well, some good things have come out of it."

"Like, for example, moments like this," Ezra says, smiling at her in the kind of way that makes her heart do somersaults. "Where do your friends think you are?"

"At home." She shrugs, unconcerned. Somehow her worries always seem to fade away when she's with him. "God," she says, "you should have seen them when Spencer told them it was you. They looked like someone _died_."

"Let's hope they never find out about you being on the team then," he says. "Or about how…"

"You can say it, Ezra." Aria looks down at her lap. "You can say what I did."

Ezra swallows, unsure, and then says, "Or about how you're the one who killed Ali."

The words, though familiar, make her flinch. A flood of memories comes back to her: the accident, when she and Ali were arguing, and she shoved her, and suddenly Ali was dead; the panic, the uncertainty, the horrible decision to hide the evidence; the moment when she trusted Ezra enough to confide in him – thought she could never quite find it in her to tell the girls – and he promised to keep her secret; her horror when Mona had discovered said secret and used it to blackmail both of them into joining the A-Team; the exact moment, though outwardly she hadn't changed and inwardly she'd hardly let herself consider it, that she realized she had started to enjoy her A-Team duties.

"What are you thinking about?" Ezra asks as the silence stretches on.

"Nothing," she says automatically. She knows there'll be a briefing tomorrow; Mona will demand to know what happened tonight, Ezra will explain what he'd done, Aria will tell her what the girls know. And then there'll be a meeting with the girls, during which Aria will rely on her near-perfect innocent act, the one that had allowed her to take on this job in the first place. And, although she won't mention it to anyone, beneath all of that will be the lingering uncertainty, the doubts about where she stands and how far she'll take this.

But before that, there's tonight. This quiet, comfortable night with the man she loves. And it's this thought that means that, as she starts to drift off halfway through an old black and white movie, she nuzzles closer to Ezra, closes her eyes, and lets a smile settle lazily on her face.

Tomorrow will be a new, possibly horrible day. But for now, she has tonight.

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**#butiwasa #ezriA4ever**


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